Cervical Screening NSWCervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers—having a Pap test every two years is currently the best way to prevent it. Find out more about NSW Cervical Screening Program.

The latest information about cancer control in NSW for 2017.

Through this program, we collect and analyse statewide data across key areas of cancer control. This enables us to assess what progress is being made, and we share this information with key health organisations so they can identify opportunities for improvement at a local level.

What is cancer control?

Cancer control is about reducing the effect of cancer on individuals, and on the community. It involves working to:

reduce the number of people who get cancer

increase the survival of people with cancer

improve the quality of life of people with cancer.

How do we do this?

The Cancer Institute NSW works with other government and non-government organisations in these areas of cancer control.

What you will find

There continues to be improvements across many areas of cancer control in NSW.

The key findings from each area are outlined within the relevant section.

Each of these areas has been presented with an introduction, key findings and a series of charts. The charts show information about particular measures that are being used to see changes over time.

In many of the charts, results are presented across the 15 local health districts (LHDs), one specialty health network and some private hospitals in NSW. LHDs are responsible for providing health services in a wide range of settings, including hospitals.

For background and technical information related to each chart (key performance indicator), please refer to the Appendices.

Cancer in NSW

In 2018, more than 46,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in NSW, and more than 15,000 people are expected to die from cancer.

Compared with the size of the NSW population, there is some variation in the number of people being diagnosed with, or dying from, cancer between NSW local health districts.

In 2013, the five most common cancers diagnosed in NSW were bowel, breast, lung, and prostate cancers, and melanoma.

Cancer survival rates varied for different types of cancer, and were affected by how far the cancer had spread when diagnosed (extent of disease).

Why are different time periods and dates reported?

Cancer information is collected from many places, so it takes time to review and analyse it. Different pieces of information may be collected over different time periods, or reported at different times. This means that not all of the measures reported here have the same dates.

The information presented is the most recent available for each measure at the time the report was developed.

Cancer screening programs test large numbers of people (who don’t have any symptoms) for early signs of some cancers. In Australia, there are free screening programs for breast, cervical and bowel cancers.

Cancer care in Australia is some of the best in the world. However, treatments can change rapidly as new research becomes available. Health professionals need the latest evidence, research and information on treatments to ensure the best outcomes for their patients.

Clinical trials are an important way to support the development of new cancer treatments and improve cancer care. Increasing the number of places available in cancer clinical trials in NSW means that individual patients have more treatment choices.